MAM
Mumbai Indians announce William Lawson’s by Bacardi India their official partner
MUMBAI: William Lawson’s scotch whisky by Bacardi India, has partnered with Mumbai Indians as their official sponsor for the upcoming cricket season. The partnership will see William Lawson’s as the official partner for all the VIP pavilions at the home turf- Wankhede Stadium, including driving engagement through activities. The brand logo will also feature on cheerleader uniforms and their podium all through the season.
To bring alive the brand’s “No Rules” attitude, Mumbai Indians’ team members will feature in an edgy, topical content series on cricket under ‘No Rules – Cricket Reimagined with William Lawson’s’. Kiosks that engage with fans through challenges and games, where they could win some of the brand’s signature bold merchandise at the stadium, is another highlight to watch out for.
Additionally, the collaboration will see a host of ON TRADE and OFF TRADE promotions like free Mumbai Indians’ merchandise and tickets to Mumbai Indians matches being given away at different outlets. ON TRADE engagement will also include an exciting range of #No Rules activities, games and activations with the William Lawson’s brand mascot ‘The Highlander’.
Anshuman Goenka, India Marketing Head, Bacardi India, said, “William Lawson’s has always championed sports associations across the globe. With this Cricket tournament being one of India’s prime sporting events, we strongly feel that this association will pave the way for both, the team and the brand, to engage differently with its audience base. The team’s vigour and persona resonates well with William Lawson’s unconventional and edgy ‘No Rules’ brand personality. Our association will be a unique mix of bold branding and engagement that we are confident our audiences will enjoy. This is one of our first collaborations in India and we are extremely excited for the road ahead.”
Mumbai Indians spokesperson said, “Mumbai Indians are delighted to bring on board William Lawson’s as our official partner and look forward at creating exciting and innovative ways to connect with fans through breakthrough on-ground activations.”
Mumbai Indians began the season with a match against Delhi Capitals on 24th March, 2019, at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.
AD Agencies
Omnicom Advertising Asia assembles new regional leadership team
The group is betting that a blend of creative talent, cultural intelligence and AI-driven data can help brands stay relevant in the world’s most complex marketing region.
Asia has long been the market that humbles the overconfident. Omnicom Advertising Asia is determined not to be among them.
The group announced on Monday the formation of a new regional leadership team of six senior executives, reporting to Sean Donovan, president of OA Asia. The structure is designed to help brands navigate a fragmented, fast-moving consumer landscape and build what Donovan calls “long-term cultural relevance” — the kind that survives a news cycle, a platform shift and an algorithm update.
The team
The six appointments span creativity, innovation, strategy, intelligence, business development and marketing, covering the full arc from brand idea to commercial outcome.
Peter Khoury takes on the role of chief creative officer for OA Asia, Melissa Daniels becomes chief innovation officer, and Emmanuel Sabbagh steps up as chief strategy officer. All three take on expanded regional responsibilities while retaining their leadership positions at TBWA\Singapore.
Andreas Krasser broadens his remit to chief client partner for OA Asia, continuing simultaneously as chief executive of OA Hong Kong. Ellie Brocklehurst joins as chief growth and marketing officer, drawing on her previous stint as chief marketing officer for Asia at TBWA. Rounding out the team is S. Subramanyeswar, known in the industry as Subbu, who was appointed chief knowledge officer for OA Asia alongside his role as chief strategy officer of OA India, a position that followed the close of Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG.The pitch
The team will work in close collaboration with leadership across TBWA, McCann and BBDO throughout the OA Asia network, with a brief to cut through the noise of today’s consumer landscape and deliver creative solutions that, in the group’s framing, prove short-term performance while building long-term brand health.
Underpinning the new structure is OMNI, Omnicom’s AI-driven marketing intelligence platform. The platform draws cultural intelligence from across the group’s agency brands, with the stated aim of ensuring that data is not merely accurate but grounded in context — reflecting how people actually think, feel and behave, rather than how a spreadsheet might prefer them to.
Donovan frames the proposition in straightforward terms. “Asia is one of the most complex regions for marketers, but the opportunity here is immense,” he says. “We’ve built a team that simplifies the landscape, combining top talent with an Asia-first, future-focused mindset, and unprecedented access to resources.” The model, he adds, is designed to be plug-and-play, responding to client needs in collaboration with agencies and markets across the region. “More than expertise, it’s about giving clients the perspective, ambition and access to think beyond the next campaign.”
The new structure also strengthens connections across the broader Omnicom family, including its media, production and PR operations — a post-acquisition suite of capabilities that the group is evidently keen to deploy as a single, coherent offering.
In a region where consumer attention is fractured across dozens of platforms, languages and cultures, the real test will not be the org chart. It will be whether six smart people with the right tools can actually make brands matter. Omnicom is putting its money on yes.
